Saturday, May 18, 2013

Fact checking for the New York Times Editorial Board

The Sunday New York Times has an op-ed from the editorial board claiming "Climate warnings growing louder."I submitted the following comment for publication:Fact checking for the New York Times Editorial Board:Global temperatures have not increased for 16 years and countingConsequently, many peer-reviewed scientific papers have been published lowering the so-called 'climate sensitivity' to CO2 to a mere 0.5-1.6C per doubling of CO2, less than half of what was previously believed. Thus, at the current rate of CO2 increase, it would take 200 years for CO2 to double for a mere 0.5-1.6C warming, which is nothing to worry about and likely beneficial.Many peer-reviewed scientific papers have demonstrated that CO2 is greening the planet. One published last week noted an 11% increase in green cover over arid areas due to CO2 fertilization over the past 30 years.According to the NOAA 2012 sea level budget, sea levels are rising at a mere 1.1-1.3 mm/yr, less than 5 inches per century, less than the average rate of rise over the past 18,000 years. According to a paper published in the Journal of Climate by JM Gregory et al (with 14 other top international sea level experts) in Dec 2012, there is no evidence of an anthropogenic (man-made) influence on sea levels, and no evidence of any acceleration of sea level rise over the 20th century.According to a 20-year study published last week in Nature, warming of the Arctic may not release methane & CO2, carbon will remain locked in soil.The UN IPCC SREX report concluded that there is no evidence that warming is increasing extreme weather, droughts, floods, hurricanes, etc. and no evidence of a human fingerprint on such extremes. In fact, the data shows such extremes have decreased.Conclusion: There is no reason to believe that "climate warnings are growing louder" and your claims amount to unsubstantiated alarmism.UPDATE: The New York Times deleted this comment.